Beyond his 300 saves: José Ángel García has brought an inspiring mix of passion and determination to the game
I can still imagine him restless on the mound, watching the runners with a shrewd glance over his shoulder before unleashing his lightning movements — opening and closing his glove — as he prepares to grab the next lethal pitch to the plate.
After countless moments under pressure, Artemisa Hunters closer José Ángel García saw his long-awaited opportunity to make history arrive: he took the mound at Nelson Fernández Stadium — precisely where he began his glorious career challenging hitters a little more than 25 seasons ago—, to seek the desired record of games saved that eluded him last year in the Elite Cuban Baseball League.
José Ángel's entrance to the Sunday duel against the Hurricanes of Mayabeque did not occur in the usual situational context that he usually faces as the Hunters' closer. Instead of opening the inning, his current manager and former teammate of more than two decades, Yulieski González, made the call to the bullpen at the top of the seventh inning with two outs and a 4-2 lead.*
*Mayabeque and Artemisa faced each other in the second game of a doubleheader on Sunday, both games lasting seven innings.
García relieved Israel Sánchez, who had replaced starter Juan Luis Hernández in the sixth inning. Sandy William Menocal tried to fuel the Hurricanes' attack with a double, but Osmel Cordero lined out to first for the final out of the game. Yes, as has been the trend throughout his 26 seasons dominating hitters, the legendary right-hander with uniform number 99 preserved the lead on the scoreboard for the Artemisa Hunters. However, unlike any other wind up, José Ángel had just completed a memorable feat: he became the first pitcher with 300 games saved in the history of the National Series of Cuban baseball.
300 rescues? Yes, it is said so easily, but it has definitely been a long road driven by perseverance and the love of the t-shirt. Now, let's think about this for a moment: former Island Pirates pitcher Danny Aguilera saved 149 games in 18 National Series. With eight more seasons (counting the start of this 63rd Cuban National Series), García has surpassed 151 saves! to Aguilera, who retired just four seasons ago. You can tell for sure: in terms of saving games, there are no contenders for José Ángel García in Cuban baseball and probably no closer will achieve anything like him.
Regarding José Ángel's consistency, it is fair to point out that his arrival at 300 saves is not only due to the 26 National Series that he has played. During his career, after 774 games relieved, he still maintains a 38% save rate (games saved per relief), the highest average in the history of Cuban baseball. When it comes to effectiveness, save percentage is not an accurate statistic, but in the context of Cuban baseball it says a lot about the consistency of a closer. It's more about how established closers were able to extend their contributions over multiple seasons. The ranking might perhaps surprise you, here it is:
As you see, there are three big percentages here: José Ángel leads with 37%, followed by two Pirates pitchers, Héctor Mendoza and Danny Aguilera. What this percentage is trying to tell us is simply what the effectiveness of saves was compared to the number of reliefs made by these pitchers. José Ángel heads the ranking because, in addition to his consistency in saving games, he has been the longest-serving closer in history.
Yes, we could also add that José Ángel re-emerged within the Vaqueros del Habana pitching staff, which provided an advantage in obtaining save opportunities. Even so, his development was progressive, and he did not cease to surprise: he saved at least 10 games in seven of his 13 seasons with Habana, although his greatest record has been the 138 saves he accumulates. While writing this piece, my colleague Ray Otero and I were reflecting on the evolution of Cuban baseball in terms of pitching specialization.
In the mid-1990s, pitching philosophy began to take a considerable turn. Bullpen management has expanded, and complete game percentages have been reduced each year. Obviously, as fewer pitchers focused on completing games, the work of situational relievers and closers began to develop. Regarding the extinction of full games, you might be surprised to see how times have changed:
Percentage of complete games
1980s decade: 40.5%
1990s decade: 32.3%
2000s decade: 13.9%
2010s decade: 5.9%
The transition between the decade of the nineties and the 2000s was the most abrupt and, at the same time, as we saw before, the period in which the most successful closers of Cuban baseball emerged. Among them all, José Ángel García always stood out as one of the most consistent closers, bringing hope and fun to the game, even when he has been on the brink on the mound. One might also wonder how far he would have come if his command problems had not dogged him throughout his career. The lack of control was the only deficiency that, without a doubt, threatened José Ángel's performance as a closer. Still, his ability to strike out (he records 8.9 K/9 in his career), imposing his devastating slider, has been a key added value on his path to success.
Behind Danny Aguilera, who ranks second all-time with 149 games saved, there are only three relievers who managed to surpass 100 saves in their career: Duniel Ibarra (pitched for Cienfuegos: 124 in 14 seasons), Yolexis Ulacia (pitched for Villa Clara: 122 in 13 seasons) and Orestes González (pitched for Pinar del Río: 101 in 11 seasons).
The other two pitchers who came close to 100 saves in Cuban baseball were right-handers Yormani Socarrás (95) and Euclides Rojas (90) in 21 and 13 seasons, respectively. If you followed the Cuban National Series from the late 1990s to the mid-2000s, you must have seen this entire group of closers pitch.
Among the relievers with a minimum of 100 games saved, Pinar del Río right-hander Orestes González was the only one to debut pitching in the early 1990s. “El Bombero de Viñales” debuted with the Forestales team in the 1991-1992 season, but the rest of the closers in the ranking developed their respective campaigns between 1997 and 2014. The only pitcher who faced another era was the legendary Industriales reliever, Euclides Rojas, who we could take as one of the main figures specialized in the role of closer during the eighties and early nineties.
With each final out, José Ángel García has not only made a difference as the legendary keeper of the ninth inning in the National Series: he has also shown how much can be achieved with discipline and passion for the game.
I don't know how far José Ángel will be able to extend his impressive save record. But, beyond the statistics, his legacy is marking a unique chapter in the history of Cuban baseball.